The use of a purse or a briefcase/suitcase as an ImprovisedWeapon. The former may be related to WhenEldersAttack, while the latter to BriefcaseBlaster.

Often occurs in the CatFight and WimpFight. (Little note - fights in football in Britain are often mere slap fights, and the commentators occasionally describe such a fight as "handbags", a shortened version of Handbags At Dawn.) One reason people should NeverMessWithGranny----!!Examples:[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]* In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Seto Kaiba uses a briefcase when he is attacked by Pegasus' goons. His [[DistressedDude little brother]] ''tries'' to pull off the same moves later on, but fails miserably.* Attempted in the fight between a Russian assassin and a serial killer (revealed to be [[spoiler:[[IdolSinger Hijiribe Ruri]]]]) in the 4th volume of ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}''. Unfortunately for them that briefcase belonged to a [[spoiler:[[FromBadToWorse certain man in a bartender suit]]]].* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', Levy [=McGarden=] smacks Gajeel Redfox with her purse and floors him with pain, even though she's a SquishyWizard and he's literally MadeOfIron.* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Ryuko Matoi sometimes uses her weapon case offensively and defensively (though it is made of metal).

[[AC:ComicBooks]]* ''StuckRubberBaby'' is a comic depicting civil rights demonstrations in the south. One character learns to defend herself with a brick - in her handbag.* ''ComicBook/MsTree'' carries her pistol in her handbag, which makes it handy to swing at a enemy with unexpected force.

[[AC:Fan Works]]* First John Gage, then Chet Kelly in the ''{{Series/Emergency}}'' fic "[[http://web.archive.org/web/20110317165013/http://www.twochickies.com/youmakemefeellikedancin.htm You Make Me Feel Like Dancin']]" get this. John and Roy get injured hilariously at the station and Chet has to drive them to Rampart. John is dressed as a clown after a fire dept. carnival. He has to make Chet stop so he can throw up and a woman starts hitting him with her bag, thinking he's a drunk clown. Chet gets out of the squad, and is naked except for Roy's turnout coat (ItMakesSenseInContext). The old lady turns her bag on Chet, thinking he's a pervert. And John, wanting to annoy Chet, directs her how to hit so Chet will feel it more.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':** Battley Townswomen Guild's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMqSmiC_xHg Reenactment of the Battle of Pearl Harbour]]** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFiN7Zsz2zM Hell's Grannies]]** The Battley Townswomen's Guild did it again when reenacting the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrDr4DL_A_U First Heart Transplant]].* In the live-action ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' movie, when Roger mistakes Perdita for Pongo and attempts to take her away, Anita puts a stop to it with this.-->'''''Roger''': What do you have in that purse of yours, rocks?''-->'''''Anita''': Oh, no; bricks.''** She really was carrying bricks. She was collecting bricks one or two at a time as she saw them; she was paving her garden and there were leftovers.* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', an old lady attacks Alex with her purse.* ''Film/TheSting'': after Hooker yanks a woman out of a phone booth, the woman hits both Hooker and his partner with her purse.* Mrs. Marcus from ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'' will very often hit other people with her purse when she's really angry. The following characters she's hit with her purse are; Melville Crump, J. Russell Finch, Col. Hawthorne, Otto Meyer, and a random pedestrian.* The heroine of ''Film/TheGodsMustBeCrazy's'' sequel keeps [[ThoseTwoGuys the two soldiers]] in line with her handbag. When they see her pull out a half-brick one worries about what else she's got in there.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Mrs. Figg hits Mundungus Fletcher with her handbag, which, from the clanking, appeared to be filled with cans of cat food.* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', Agony Aunt Dotsie's unnaturally heavy purse provides a quick removal of any threat* In the first book of the ''Literature/AlcatrazSeries'', Bastille mostly used her handbag to store her sword, but she also used it to whack Alcatraz.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]* A staple of Ruth Buzzi's old lady character on ''RowanAndMartinsLaughIn''.* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' once improvised a weapon from a handbag and a couple of bricks. On the commentary, Creator/JossWhedon refers to it as "[[FooFu Bag fu]]."* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' had one where Amy went to hit Bernadette with her purse, but she ducked and Amy accidentally hit Penny instead, breaking her nose in the process.-->'''Penny''': What have you got in there?-->'''Amy''': Just my wallet, keys and a coffee can full of change I was taking to the bank.* ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'': Sophia would sometimes indulge in this, using the beaded purse she carried with her everywhere. One episode of note is when her sister, Angela, moves to Miami and moves in with Sophia's current boyfriend. Sophia automatically assumes that the two are having an affair and goes to confront them. Angela pleads her innocence...only for Sophia's boyfriend to walk out of his bedroom with ''another'' woman. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Sophia and Angela gang up on him.]]-->'''Angela''': You've insulted my sister's honor!-->'''Tony''': I don't know what to say.-->'''Sophia''': I'll tell you what you can say! Say "ouch"! {whacks him with her purse}-->'''Angela''': Say, "That hurts!" {whacks him with ''her'' purse}* Discussed in the final episode of ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures''. The villain asks if she's going to hit him with her handbag. She doesn't, unfortunately.* In ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', Dewey starts to carry a handbag with him as a backpack. Reese [[GenreSavvy knowing that his brother would get picked on for this]], [[PetTheDog tries to get him to use a backpack again]]. Despite spending the entire episode and still not changing Dewey's mind Reese finally sees Dewey getting picked on for using a handbag. Dewey then proceeds to [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome beat the crud out of his hecklers using his handbag]]. After they run away Dewey reveals he was carrying a brick inside the handbag as he [[GenreSavvy expected this too]].* Used several times on ''Series/ThreesCompany''--including in the very first episode by a potential roommate for the girls, after Mr. Roper [[ItMakesSenseInContext pokes her in the breasts to prove that they aren't real]].* In the opening sequence for TheOddCouple, Felix is shown trying to help an old lady cross the street. The lady hits him with her handbag and a Boy Scout punches him. It's just not Felix's day.

[[AC:New Media]]* There is an (obviously faked) [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQxcV4lu-a4 YouTube video]] of a little old lady in a crosswalk responding to the impatient honking of a motorist by whacking his front bumper with her handbag hard enough to set off his airbags.

[[AC: Professional Wrestling]]* When she was with Wrestling/RandySavage in the late-1980's, Sherri Martel regularly came to the ring with a loaded purse. It backfired on her at SummerSlam 1989 when Wrestling/HulkHogan got a hold of it.* At ''New Year's Revolution 2006'', Shelton Benjamin defeated Viscera after Shelton's mother clocked Viscera with her purse when the referee wasn't looking. After the match, she opened her purse and showed the audience there was a brick inside it.

[[AC:{{Satire}}]]* MargaretThatcher was often depicted wielding a killer handbag, especially on ''SpittingImage''.

[[AC:StandUpComedy]]* EddieIzzard once suggested that the Queen should be attacked by dogs ([[ItMakesSenseInContext long story]]) and that she could defend herself with a handbag with a brick in it.

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]* In 4th edition ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'', the combat example was a bank robbery. At one point, a little old lady customer thwacks one of the goons with her purse. He goes down.

[[AC:VideoGames]]* ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'': Garcian Smith's down attack involves hitting an enemy with his large suitcase.* ''MapleStory'': a briefcase is a usable weapon for players.* Handbags were available as weapons in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' - but only for female characters of a few classes. Some of them actually packed a rather impressive punch.* Chat in ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' uses these as weapons, though sometimes she just pulls [[DropTheHammer hammers]] out of them.** Karol from ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' smacks foes over the head with his large handbag for his various debuffing artes. He uses these as his secondary weapon and can be seen storing his main weapon in them outside of battle. The one he's currently using has his Bodhi Blastia[[note]]The artifact he needs to use his artes.[[/note]] attached to it.* Handbags are a possible weapon (albeit a very ''weak'' one) for players to find in ''DeadRising''.** It's definitely in the sequel as shown [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VyNJGpZggs here]].* In ''VideoGame/TheSims 1 & 2'', the ambiguously wedded Mrs./Miss Crumplebottom carries a handbag that, while not murderous, is quite humiliating.* Kisarah Westfield from SNK's ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'' is a schoolgirl who fights with her bookbag, which is a callback to the fighting game she originally comes from (''Aggressors of Dark Kombat'') where various weapons can be picked up and temporarily used.* A handbag is the first weapon you can give to Eileen in the EscortMission section of ''VideoGame/SilentHill4''. (Protip: Don't do it! Her AI will flip from "cower-and-hide" to "reckless enthusiasm" and she'll take damage. If you need the help, give her one of the better weapons you find later.)

[[AC:{{WebAnimation}}]]* In the final episode of ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'' Volume 2, Coco from team [=CFVY=][[note]]Pronounced "Coffee"[[/note]] wipes the floor with a very large Grimm using her handbag, and wounds a few more. [[SwissArmyWeapon She then transforms said purse]] [[BriefcaseBlaster into a]] [[GatlingGood minigun]] [[CurbStompBattle and utterly]] ''[[CurbStompBattle destroys]]'' [[CurbStompBattle several other, larger Grimm with ease]].

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]* Laura Gates of ''BeyondReality'' has a lead weight sewn to the bottom of her purse for this exact purpose.* In ''LackadaisyCats'', Mitzi slams one into Mordecai's face in shock when he hid in [[DangerTakesABackSeat her backseat]] to have a word with her.-->'''Mordecai:''' I'd like a word with you... if you can refrain from assaulting me with a bakelite for a moment.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]* Irma, the dorky friend of April O'Neill, utters the battle cry in the page quote in ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'', while facing off against an unstoppable robot.* In the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes shorts:** ''Boston Quackie'', Quackie's girlfriend Mary clobbers the man in the green hat with her handbag. Of course, she is carrying an anvil in it...** ''WesternAnimation/BallotBoxBunny'', Bugs pretends to be a baby and accuses mayoral candidate Yosemite Sam of biting him on the nose during a "[[PoliticiansKissBabies kissing babies]]" PR stunt. A crowd of angry mothers immediately swarm Sam and beat him with their handbags* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "The Mysterious Mare Do Well", Rainbow Dash gives Granny Smith an unwanted helping hoof and gets bonked with Granny's purse for her troubles.* In one episode of ''TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', an [[BadassBystander old lady on the subway]] saves Spider-Man's life by employing this technique ... against ''the Lizard!''* Aunt Bogunda from ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'' will very often use her purse to beat up those who dare to oppress her, sometimes even bonking Bogus on the head. It especially doesn't help matters that Bogunda is an {{Expy}} of Mrs. Marcus.* In the ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon, Ms. Lapierre swats at a shrunken Mega Man with her purse.* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' Betty and Wilma can knock anyone out with their purses. Enough so that '''they''' look like more badass fighters than their husbands.* [[{{Animaniacs}} Goodfeathers flock together, Slappy whacks 'em with her purse.]]

[[AC:RealLife]]* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ha8pC0aBc Supergran!]]* [[http://hd.se/multimedia/archive/00115/269235_jpg_115442d.jpg This picture]] from a neonazi demonstration in Sweden.----